Washing machine



May 22,1922 Y S. CRAVER WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct 17,1922

May 22; 1923.

. H. s. CSRAVER WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 17, 192k 62 Sheets- Sheet 2 a Cra Mfw;

HOWARD s. (maven, or CHICAGO, rumors, Assronoa or ONE-HALF T0 Hnmm" s.

' mm), or onrcaeo, rumors.

wasrame maonmn.

Application filed October 17, 1922. Serial No. 595,080.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that- I, HOWARD S. Cnavraa, a citizen of the United States, residing. at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in 'Washingj Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to washing machines, especi-aily of the type in which there are clothes engaging elements which have a vertical reciprocating movement and also a step by step angular or rotary movement. Examples of such machines may be round in my prior Patents No. 1,361,228 and 1,412,924, and my co-pending application Serial No. 591,234 filed September 29th, 1922. In said (Jo-pending application I have shown a machine in which there is a friction ciutch for importing a step by step rotary'movement to the clothes engaging elements. one advantage being that when said clothes engaging elements (which for convenience will be termed cups"} meet an obstruction they will stop their rotary movements until the obstruction is removed.

For one thi ig thisavoids danger of wrapping the clothes around the center post and tearing them. In the machine there 1ilustrated the clutch is thrown into and out of engagement-- automatically by the action and reaction of the contents of the clothes re-' 'ceptacle on the cups. The present machine has the same generai characteristics but shows a clutch 'and driving: mechanism of di'fl'erent construction. The object oi my present invention is to provide an advantageous alternative design of clutch mecha nism and associated parts.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this sl'ieciiirutio i.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine showing; the clothes receptacle in section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the-clutch and associated mechanism. the clutch members and some of the other parts being.

shown in dianictral section.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 2. certain portions of some of the elements being: broken away to better reveal the construction; The irregular line 3-3 Figure 2 indicates thepoints at which the parts are broken away.

Figure 4 is a side elevationof the clutrh looking toward the loft in Figure 2. Portions of the clutch elements are shown in section.

Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4 but shows the parts in changed position.

Like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

In the illustrated design the machine has a clothes receptacle 1 provided with a center post 2 rising from the bottom and forming a guide for a vertically reciprocating shaft 3. Atthe upper end of the shah, above the top of post 2, is a cross arm 3 which at its ends carries a plurality of clothes engaging elements 4. shown in the form of" vacuum cups. The machine is driven by a motor 5 or other suitable source of'power which is here shown to be connected by a belt 6 to a sheave? geared to an eccentric 8 which actuates a link 9 connected at its lower end to a lever 10. Said lever has a fulcrum 11 which bears in a horizontal slotted bracket 12, a; said lever and associated parts compose thepower mechanism. These partsor their analogues are shown in the earlier patents and in the said pending application, and are not new in'themselves.

Pinned or otherwise rigidly secured to shaft 3 near the lower end thereof is a clutch member 14 which faces downward and has a dependingperipheral flange 16. A trio tion washer or gasket 18 encircles the shaft beneath .llSl' l4 and rests upon a friction disc 2). which faces upward. The two discs 4 l'orni 2 cooperating: clutch members and the gasket 1& formsa clutch lining and may consist of any of the well known compositions used for the purpose. It may be entirely omitted if desired.

Disc 20 is loosely mounted on shaft 3 and has two downward extending: fingers 22 which receive between them a pin 24 fastened to an eccentricQfi formed on one of the forks or branches at the outer bifurcated end of lever 10. have thre apertures 27. either one of them for receiving pin 24. By placing the pin in different apertures. different degrees of eccentricity may be obtained. Lever 10 is articulately secured by pins or trunnions 28 to a sleeve 30.. which is loosely mountedpn shaft. 3. Said shaft is shouldered at its lower endand screw threaded to take a nut 32. it is desirable to interpose a washer 34 Eccentric 26 is shown to Lemons vertical operating shaft, "clothes engaging elements carried by said slfaft end compelled at all times to move angularl with it, a"

tigally and a friction clutch including two discs,-the upper disc being. rigidly secured the shaft end: the lower disc loosely mounted thereon and adapted to support the upper disc, the lower disc being loosely supported by the power device and having a supplemental connection to it tobe positively moved angularly vby it.

3. A Washing machine having a clothes receptacle, a vertically reciprocating, rotatable shait, clothes engaging elementscarried shaft ver- 7 by said shaft, a driving lever swinging in e verticarplane, a clutch having a tight and a loose member mounted on said shaft,,the loose member mounted on said shaft, the loose member being below and adapted to support the tight member, a. loose sleeve on the shaft-below the loose clutch member and adapted to support it, the sleeve bein connected to the lever to 'be reciprocate tically by' it,- and an. eccentric connection between the levef' and the loose clutch member for oscillating the latter;

I In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HOWARD S. CRAVER 

